Empty container storage for the intermediate storage of empty ISO containers

ABSTRACT

An empty container store for the temporary storage of empty ISO containers, in particular in fully automatic container terminals of sea ports or river ports includes a gantry bridge crane which spans the empty container store. The gantry bridge can be moved on an elevated craneway and has a traveling crab which can be moved thereon in the longitudinal direction thereof. A vertical lifting column is fastened to the traveling crab for lifting and lowering a load receiving means for the empty container. The load receiving means includes a spreader on a spreader support which is arranged on a spreader carriage which is guided on the lifting column by rollers on a spreader support.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/DE01/00317, filedon Jan. 23, 2001. Priority is claimed on that application and on thefollowing application: Country: Germany, Application No.: 100 09 737.5,Filed: Feb. 23, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an empty container store for the temporarystorage of empty ISO containers, in particular in fully automaticcontainer terminals of sea ports or river ports, having a gantry bridgecrane which can be automated, spans the empty container store, can bemoved on an elevated craneway and having a traveling crab which can bemoved thereon in the longitudinal direction thereof and to which avertical lifting column or a load receiving means which can be liftedand lowered and is intended for the empty container is fastened.

2. Description of the Prior Art

While fully automatic container terminals are becoming evermorewidespread, empty container stores are currently only operated manuallyand cannot therefore be integrated into the fully automatic terminalscontrolled by superior storage logistics. The stacking and transportingof the empty containers takes place by means of reach stackers, forklift trucks or similar mobile equipment which also undertake thetransportation between the empty container store and the containerstorage modules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an empty containerstore which can be integrated into the fully automatic operation of acontainer terminal in order thereby to increase the handling capacity incomparison with the manually operated empty container store withoutadditional costs.

In order to achieve this object, an empty container store is proposedaccording to the invention which is characterized in that the loadreceiving means is a spreader which is arranged on a spreader carriage,which is guided on the lifting column by means of rollers, on a spreadersupport.

The gantry bridge crane, which spans the entire empty container area andon which the stacking crane can be moved, is the basis of the systemaccording to the invention. Gantry bridge cranes are known in principleand are available in a well-developed form. Elevators on a cranewayenable the necessary stacking height of up to 8 containers which arestacked one above another to be reached, said containers being able tobe picked up and lowered by the load receiving means which can be movedup and down on the vertical lifting column. The lifting column itself ispart of the traveling crab which can be moved on the gantry bridgecrane, and so every space of the empty container store can be reached bymoving both the gantry bridge crane and the traveling crab.

The vertical lifting column advantageously comprises a lattice maststructure having preferably three chords on which the load receivingmeans is guided in a vertically moveable manner. The lattice mast, whichis triangular in cross section, is, on the one hand, lightweight and, onthe other hand, is sufficiently stable in order to hold the loadreceiving means together with the load and to guide it on the liftingcolumn.

According to a further feature of the invention, the spreader carriagecan be moved vertically on the lifting column by means of a double-cablelifting mechanism, deflection rollers for the cables being provided onthe lifting column. The spreader for the ISO containers is arranged on aspreader support, which can be spread apart by the spreader carriage,and is set up in such a manner that it is able to grasp the differentsizes of container.

According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that thespreader support with the spreader in the vertical longitudinal centralplane of the spreader carriage can be pivoted from a position near tothe lifting column into a position remote from the lifting column. Thisability to pivot is used for the operation, which will be describedlater, of the load receiving means which is thereby capable of puttingdown or picking up the container at a certain distance from the liftingcolumn.

The spreader support is advantageously connected to the spreadercarriage via parallel links which can be pivoted by means of apiston/cylinder unit. The parallel link guide makes possible anessentially horizontal movement of the spreader support and therefore afavorable guiding of the load, spreader and empty container carrying outa curved movement as a function of the length of the parallel links.

The length of the parallel links and the pivoting movement thereof arecoordinated with one another in such a manner that, according to afurther feature of the invention, the spreader support together with thespreader in its pivoting position remote from the lifting column can bepivoted out to such an extent that when the lifting column is in aposition near to the craneway rail, the spreader reaches through theposts of the craneway. This feature makes it possible to pivot with thespreader into a position which is arranged outside the empty containerstore. In this manner, containers which are stacked or transportedoutside the empty container store can be picked up or empty containerscan be transferred out of the empty container store in order to bepicked up outside the store.

When stacking the containers in the empty container store at a height ofup to eight containers, at least the first stacking row may becomeunstable in the case of wind loads. In order to prevent this, accordingto a further feature of the invention, it is proposed that a bearingframework is provided in order to stabilize at least the first row ofthe container stacks in the region near to the craneway, said bearingframework comprising vertical columns or supports, the height of whichcorresponds to the height of the containers which can be stacked up tothe maximum and the horizontal clearance of which is smaller than thelongitudinal extent of the shortest container to be stacked, at leastone lane being formed between two columns or supports through which eventhe longest container can be withdrawn in its transverse direction. Thevertical pillars or supports, which are preferably embedded in theground, prevent the stack from falling over and at the same time enablethe containers to be withdrawn in a relatively large intermediate spacebetween the columns or supports.

Finally, it is proposed, in addition, for the sorting in the containerstore to take place in accordance with size, height and design of theISO containers. Since, as is known, the standard sizes of containersdiffer in terms of length and height, the containers have to be sortedin order to form stable and orderly stacks. Moreover, standardcontainers, open top containers, tank containers, bulk materialcontainers and flads are in each case stacked separately, it also beingpossible to deposit the containers of diverse shipping firms incollective positions.

The present invention is advantageous because it provides the necessarysupplementation to the fully automatic container store for a fullyautomatic container terminal. When the automatic stacking crane is used,the handling capacity is increased significantly in comparison to themanually operated empty container store without additional costs incomparison with the manual store arising.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be illustrated in thedrawing and described below. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a section through a container store with an integratedempty container store,

FIG. 2 shows the container store according to FIG. 1 during theconstruction of the first row of empty containers,

FIG. 3 shows a further section through the container store according toFIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows the empty container storage module,

FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of the spreader support in the positionwith minimal projection,

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the spreader support in the positionwith maximum projection, and

FIG. 7 shows a section through the three-chord mast above the spreadercarriage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a cross section through an empty container storage module 1according to the invention with adjacent container storage modules 2 isillustrated. In the empty container storage module 1, a stacking crane3, which moves on the elevated craneways 4, serves the empty containerstore 5. The stacking crane 3 comprises the gantry-like bridge 6 and thecrab 7. The main components of the crab are the three-chord mast 7.1,the double-cable lifting mechanism 7.2, the spreader carriage 7.3 andthe spreader 7.4, which is mounted in a floating manner, in the positionof minimum projection.

In FIG. 2, a section through the container store having an integratedempty container store according to FIG. 1 is likewise illustrated. Thefigure shows the empty container storage module 1 and the stacking crane3 operating therein during construction of the first row of emptycontainers 8 in the empty container store 5. A bearing framework 9,which comprises supports embedded vertically in the ground, is used forstabilizing the first row. For this normal stacking activity, thespreader 7.4 is situated within the empty container store 5 in theposition of minimum projection. The supports have a clearancetherebetween allowing the transverse through passage of the emptycontainers.

FIG. 3 shows the empty container storage module 1 and the stacking crane3 operating therein in a loading region 10 outside the empty containerstore 5 during the transfer of an empty container 11 from the first rowof the adjacent container storage module 2. For this handling activityoutside the empty container store 5, the spreader has been pivoted intothe position of maximum deflection.

In FIG. 4, a further section through a container store having anintegrated empty container store is illustrated. The figure shows theempty container storage module 1 and the stacking crane 3 therein in aloading region 12 outside the empty container store during the transferof an empty container 13 from a driverless transport vehicle 14. Forthis handling activity outside the empty container store 5, the spreader7.4 has been pivoted into the position of maximum projection.

The spreader support and the positions of minimum and maximum projectionare illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 shows the spreader carriage 7.3comprising the guide frame 15, the strut links 16, the parallel links17, the spreader support 18 and the spreader 7.4, which is mounted in afloating manner. The two lifting cylinders 19 determine the minimum endposition of the spreader. By means of two cables 20 of the doublelifting mechanism 7.2 the spreader carriage is moved for positioning inthe vertical direction along the three-chord mast 7.1.

FIG. 6 shows the spreader carriage 7.3 in its maximum projection. Thelifting cylinders 19 are completely extended, as a result of which theparallel links 17 and the strut links 16 pivot to the left in thedrawing and therefore move the spreader support into a position in whichit is remote from the three-chord mast.

FIG. 7 shows the three-chord mast 7.1, the double-cable liftingmechanism 7.2 and the spreader carriage 7.3 in cross section. Thespreader carriage, which is guided on two double T supports 22 by fourrollers 21 is suspended on the two lifting cables 20 and can be movedvertically on the three-chord mast by means of a lifting mechanism (notillustrated).

In order to stack the empty containers in the empty container store 5,the crab 7 moves together with the three-chord mast 7.1, which isarranged thereon, for example into the position illustrated in FIG. 3,the spreader 7.4 in its maximum projection reaching through the elevatedcraneway. The spreader picks up an empty container 11 and moves thelatter through a lane formed between the craneway supports into theregion of the empty container store 5. A first row 8 of emptycontainers, which is supported by the bearing framework 9, is stackedthere, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Further rows are formed in the samemanner (FIG. 1), the spreader 7.4 being positioned in the positionaccording to the projection.

As described previously, the empty containers can be lifted off adriverless transport vehicle or can be placed thereon, as is illustratedschematically in FIG. 4. The sorting in the store expediently takesplace according to container types, i.e. according to sizes (20′, 30′,40′, 45′, 48′, 50′), according to height (4′, 4′6″, 8′, 8′6″, 9′, 9′6″and 9′6½″), design (standard container, open-top container, tankcontainer, bulk material container and flads), and according to owners(diverse slipping firms).

The container store according to the invention operates fullyautomatically in accordance with an established program and can beintegrated into the sequence of an automatic container terminal.

1. An empty container store for the temporary storage of empty ISOcontainers in a fully automatic container terminal of ports, comprising:an elevated craneway; a gantry bridge movably supported on said cranewayand spanning the empty container store; and a traveling crab movablymounted on said gantry bridge for moving in a longitudinal direction ofsaid gantry bridge, said traveling crab having a vertical lifting columnand a load receiving means for receiving an empty container, said loadreceiving means being movable along said vertical lifting column,wherein said load receiving means comprises a spreader carriage guidedon said vertical lifting column via rollers, a spreader support mountedon said spreader carriage and a spreader supported by said spreadersupport, and wherein said spreader support and said spreader arepivotable relative to said vertical lifting column from a first loadingregion proximate said lifting column to a second loading region remotefrom said lifting column, wherein said first and second loading regionsare separate and non-overlapping.
 2. The empty container store of claim1, wherein said vertical lifting column comprises a lattice maststructure having three chords, said load receiving means beingvertically movably guided on said lattice mast structure.
 3. The emptycontainer store of claim 2, further comprising a double cable liftingmechanism having deflection rollers arranged on said vertical liftingcolumn for vertically moving said spreader carriage.
 4. The emptycontainer store of claim 1, wherein said traveling crab is movable to anend position proximate a rail of said craneway, wherein said spreaderextends through posts of said craneway when said traveling crab is inthe end position and said spreader is pivoted to said second position.5. The empty container store of claim 1, further comprising a bearingframework arranged proximate said craneway for supporting at least afirst row of empty containers in a region of the empty container storeproximate said craneway, said bearing framework comprising verticalcolumns having a height corresponding to the height of the maximumnumber of stacked containers and a horizontal clearance allowingtransverse through-passage of the empty containers and being smallerthan a length of the shortest container to be stacked.
 6. The emptycontainer store of claim 1, further comprising a double cable liftingmechanism having deflection rollers arranged on said vertical liftingcolumn for vertically moving said spreader carriage.
 7. The emptycontainer store of claim 1, wherein load receiving means furthercomprises parallel links connecting said spreader support to saidspreader carriage and a piston-cylinder unit for pivoting said spreadersupport between said first and second positions.
 8. The empty containerstore of claim 7, wherein said traveling crab is movable to an endposition proximate a rail of said craneway, wherein said spreaderextends through posts of said craneway when said traveling crab is inthe end position and said spreader is pivoted to said second position.9. The empty container store of claim 1, wherein said first loadingregion in within the empty container store and the second loading regionis outside of the empty container store.
 10. An empty container storefor the temporary storage of empty ISO containers in a fully automaticcontainer terminal of ports, comprising: an elevated craneway; a gantrybridge movably supported on said craneway and spanning the emptycontainer store; and a traveling crab movably mounted on said gantrybridge for moving in a longitudinal direction of said gantry bridge,said traveling crab having a vertical lifting column and a loadreceiving means for receiving an empty container, said load receivingmeans being movable along said vertical lifting column, wherein saidload receiving means comprises a spreader carriage guided on saidvertical lifting column via rollers, a spreader support mounted on saidspreader carriage and a spreader supported by said spreader support,wherein said spreader support and said spreader are pivotable from afirst position proximate said lifting column to a second position remotefrom said lifting column, and wherein load receiving means furthercomprises parallel links connecting said spreader support to saidspreader carriage and a piston-cylinder unit for pivoting said spreadersupport between said first and second positions.
 11. The empty containerstore of claim 10, wherein said traveling crab is movable to an endposition proximate a rail of said craneway, wherein said spreaderextends through posts of said craneway when said traveling crab is inthe end position and said spreader is pivoted to said second position.